Charles comstock



(No Model.)

G. GOMSTOOK.

SHORT TURNING VEHICLE."

No. 432,227. Patented July 15, 1890.

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' CHARLES COMSTOCK, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

SHORT- TURNING VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,227, dated July 15, 1890.

Application filed March 13, 1890. Serial No, 343,781. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES COMSTOCK, a citizen 'of the United States, residing in the city of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion, in the State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Short-Turning Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in short-turning vehicles; and it consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed. 7

The object of my invention is to construct a cheap and durable short-turning vehicle without cutting under the body or elevating the same above the wheels; also, to construct a short-turning vehicle without reach or pole, and one that will not tip or twist the front of the body when the Vehicle is being turned. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a bottom view of my vehicle.

A is a transverse spring running across the vehicle in front of the axle E, and is shackled to the front ends of the springs S S, respectively, by double shackles. It is secured at its crown to a head-block F, which head-block constitutes the front part of a frame-work F. This frame-work F is composed of a central longitudinal bar G, which is united to the head-block in frontand secured to a crosspiece in the rear, and of two diverging braces Z) Z) and the rear piece D. On the rear end of this bar G is journaled afrietion-roller R, which traverses the truss-bar T on the top and tends to support the platform in a horizontal position longitudinally. This truss bar T is secured to the bottom of the body. Thus by this truss-bar T and segmental plate P" the platform is held always in a horizontal position. The springs S S are two longitudinal springs clipped or otherwise secured to the axle E at points forward of their centers suificiently far to allow the downward thrust of the spring A to be equal to the downward thrust of the rear ends of the springs S S, so that the track-plate in its movement up and down will move in horizontal planes without twisting or turning the axle E.

B is a transverse sill running along the bottom of the body B from side sill to side sill, and through it at an equal distance from each side of the body is a common king-bolt or other like coupling adapted to hold the platform to the body and permit it to turn on this point.

P P P is a large circular track-plate made fast to the bottom of the sills and frame-work of the body, having its sills coinciding with the king-bolt or coupling K.

P is a segmental track-plate with the same diameter as the track-plate P, and is secured on top of the bar G and braces 19 I) just in rear of the head-block.

P is a segmental track-plate secured on top of the rear part of the frame-work, and has the same center as the track-plate P, and adapted to traverse the same as the platform moves around this central point determined by the kingbolt. This segmental trackplate. may be made in two segments, instead of one, the only object being that the corners of the frame-work K and K may be supported by segments or bearing portions, so that the body will be held in ahorizontal position when the platform is turned or cramped around when turning the vehicle. This lower track-plate made in segments and attached to the frame-work in front and rear allows more twisting of the running-gear without twisting the body than if the track-plate were made in one circle, for if the platform twists,

the corner at K will press on the longitudi-- nal spring S on that side, and it will readily yield to said pressure and will not twist or rack the body. So will the same effect be produced if a pressure is caused at the corner K. To the bottom of the body in the rear of the segmental plate P" is attached a lug -L L, which is provided with friction-rollers R R or friction-lips, which serve to hold the segmental plate P up against the circular track-plate P. Now itis obvious that the advantage of this construction is elasticity of pressure on the body by reason of the trackplate being made in two segments instead of one circle, one being over the long ends of the longitudinal springs S S, and the other over the crown of the transverse spring A, allows the almost free oscillation of theplatform or frame-work without twisting or otherwise injuring or rocking the body. By this construction each spring has a separate bearing on the track-plate P, and will thus enable the whole spring-platform to adapt itself to the unevenness of the ground and not strain the body, and will yet support the body while the platform is cramped to its farthest extent.

Segmental track-plates of different diameters secured to the under side of a wagonbox, in combination with a spring-platform, is not my invention, and for the purpose of making it more clear as to what I do claim as new and of distinguishing the old from the new, I hereby especially disclaim truck-plates of different diameters secured to the under side of the box in combination with a springplatform, as shown and claimed in patent to Gesner and Stevens, being No. 311,654. I also disclaim the combination of an upper anchor-shaped plate, having at its front end an are provided with a forward projecting end stop, a lower anchor-shaped plate provided at its front end with an are having a central guide and stop consisting of an upward and rearward projection or lugs and a king-bolt for connecting said plates, as shown and elai med in patent to E. M. Simons, dated March 23, 1886, and being No. 338,562. Neither do I use stops of any kind in my construction, as they are expensive to construct, and are injurious and detrimental in the working of the vehicle. The use of stops produces the sudden stoppage to the tongue of the vehicle in turning, and often results in straining or breaking the same. In my construction, there fore, I not only do not use them, but provide against their use by constructing the upper track-plate in one piece and in one circle, which will furnish a bearing for the trackplates which are attached to the platform at any position throughout its whole circumference. This upper track-plate,being made in one piece instead of in two or more, serves to greatly strengthen the body, which is very essential in this class of vehicles, as there is great strain on the body when the vehicle is turned around in a short space.

By being made in one piece and every part of its are prescribing the same circle, or a circle every part of which has the same diameter, it necessarily will require the two lower segmental track-plates to be of the same diameters, and not of diiferent diameters. If I should make the upper plate in two parts, so as to adaptit to furnish a bearing for two lower segmental track-plates of different diameters, it would not serve to strengthen the body, but would be practically useless for that purpose.

Now what I claim, and for which I ask Letters Patent of the United States to be granted to me, is-

1. In a short-turning vehicle, the combination, with a vehicle-body, two segmental plates of the same diameter mounted fore and aft on a spring-platform, which spring-platform is pivotally connected to the body in rear of the front axle, a single track-plate of the same diameter secured to the under side of the forward part of the body, a spring-platform sceured to the forward axle by means of two lateral springs and one transverse spring conneeted together and interposed between the said platform and the said axle, and a front axle, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a short-turning vehicle, a track-plate secu red to the opposite rearcorners of a spri ugplatform composed of a frame-work supported on two longitudinal springs and one front transverse spring, and pivotally connected to the body behind the axle, in combination with a friction-roller journaled to the rear of the frame-work and adapted to t 'averse the top of a truss-bar, and with said truss-bar and platform, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

CIIAS. COMSTOCK.

Attcst:

C. J. ROSENBAUM, ED. 1). 150mm. 

